Khai Jiao

Method

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1. Beat the eggs hard with the fish sauce, lime juice, rice flour and white pepper for 1 minute.

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2. Keep beating, lifting the fork high so the mixture falls back in a ribbon and takes in air.

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3. Heat the oil in a small deep pan or wok to 190C — a drop of egg should sizzle and rise immediately.

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4. Pour the egg in from about 20 cm above the pan, in one movement.

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5. It will puff up at once. Leave it 90 seconds without touching it.

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6. Spoon hot oil over the top so the upper surface sets.

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7. Turn it once with two spatulas and cook 45 seconds more.

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8. Lift onto a rack to drain for 30 seconds.

   Mark done Start 30 sec timer

9. Slide onto hot rice, scatter the spring onion over and serve with chilli sauce.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Deep oil at 190C. Shallow oil gives a flat omelette.
• Pour from a height so it spreads and puffs.
• Ninety seconds untouched.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onion? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the chilli in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.

Pairing Suggestions

• Jasmine rice
• Sriracha
• Nam pla prik

Storage & Reheating

None. It is crisp for about four minutes.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.